HFCS: Watch What You Eat!!

Check it… High Fructose Corn Syrup, one of the top ingredients in most of the food consumed in America. Linked to the rising levels of obesity in this country. So why is the Corn Refiners Association trying to promote that HFCS isn’t nearly as bad as we think it is. Have you seen these commercials. I saw one the other day while watching my daily dose of 30 minute meals with Rachel Ray. And frankly, I was disgusted. Then I saw another one on Vh1 Soul one morning. In the commercials and on their website they deem that:

Among other things. Now, I know that anything that is chemically modified cannot have all the benefits they claim. And of course corn manufacturers want us dependent on their product so its no wonder that we are being bombarded with this tom foolery. But anyway, I did some of my own research to make sure I wasn’t being a sheep. So I found an interesting article about the crap, i mean about HFCS and here is some of what I found.

Do we even really know what HFCS is? I mean sure, the name is self explanatory right? Its extra sugary corn syrup? But how did it get there? Well, HFCS is any of a group of corn syrups which have undergone enzymatic processing in order to increase their fructose content and are then mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose) to reach their final form. The typical types of HFCS are: HFCS 90 (used almost exclusively in the production of HFCS 55) which is approximately 90% fructose and 10% glucose; HFCS 55 (most commonly used in soft drinks) which is approximately 55% fructose and 45% glucose; and HFCS 42 (used in a variety of other foods, including baked goods) which is approximately 42% fructose and 58% glucose. I never knew that all HFCS wasn’t created equal… Figures..So anyway, what that means in terms of sweetness for us regular ole’ folk? HFCS 55 is comparable to table sugar (sucrose), which is a disaccharide (A carbohydrate that is made up of two monosaccharides) of fructose and glucose. This makes it useful to manufacturers as a possible substitute for sucrose in soft drinks and other processed foods. HFCS 90 is sweeter than sucrose, while HFCS 42 is not as sweet as sucrose.

HFCS is so popular here because it is cheaper than importing natural sugar to be used. I mean, even Coca cola uses natural sugar in other countries but not here in the US. WTF kinda BS is that?? To be fair consumption of sugar as a whole is linked to obesity and weight issues and there is no direct link to HFCS and obesity, however there is a correlation between the rise of obesity in the U.S. and the use of HFCS for sweetening beverages and foods. Personally, I don’t see how you can chemically alter the effects of a natural product and claim that it is not any different. I feel that chemicals have a bad effect on us as people, especially in the volumes that they are consummed. And the chemicals they use have to react with the chemicals in the soft drinks or whatever else they go in, all those chemical reactions can’t be healthy or good for you. There was a study done in mice (because we love to torment mice, that suggested that fructose increases obesity. I mean, humans used to be hunters and gatherers so to evolve into these chemically reliant creatures isn’t right. And to trust the FDA is just stupid… But that’s a whole different article for a different day. But never trust a label that just says FDA approved as natural, look for another seal. For more info on that you should check out the book “Skinny Bitch…” very enlightening on FDA practices.

The point of all this was that I think that people, specifically those in control with money, think that the average American is an idiot. They want to continuously peddle unhealthy things down our throats and perpetuate the system that we have of increased preventable diseases to fuel the medical industry and whoever else. Don’t believe the hype… just don’t!